Frances J. Murrah
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| Frances J. Murrah Click photo to see a larger image. |
Frances J. Murrah came to Winter Park in 1944 from Pine Mountain, Georgia (formerly Chipley, Georgia). She was a graduate of Brenau College and taught elementary school in Winter Park and Maitland for 39 years.
From 1951 to 1975 she taught at Park Avenue Elementary School. In a 1989 article from The Winter Park Outlook, Frances J. Murrah describes her teaching experiences at the grammar school in the 1940's. She recalls weekly trips to the Winter Park Public Library on Interlachen Avenue, visits to the fire and train stations, and even stops at O'Brien's Drugstore for ice cream. Classes frequented neighboring Rollins College. "If we walked over the 'Walk of Fame' on campus," Murrah recollects, "we might bring back to class the names of one or two of Rollins' famous visitors to read about and find out why they were famous."
Frances J. Murrah was also active in many educational and civic organizations. She was a past-president of the Winter Park High School PTA, United Church Women of Winter Park and the Winter Park Association for Childhood Education as well as a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, the Orange County Retired Teachers Association, Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, the Orwin Manor Neighborhood Association, the United Methodist Women and the Winter Park Historical Association.
Frances J. Murrah died September 23, 1994.
Kenneth Francis Murrah
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| Kenneth Francis Murrah Click photo to see a larger image. |
Kenneth Francis Murrah arrived in Winter Park when his family moved to Orwin Manor in 1944. He was enrolled in the 6th grade at Park Avenue Elementary School, (which was located where the Sun Bank Plaza is today). He graduated from Winter Park High School, Valedectorian, class of 1951; Emory University, class of 1955; and Emory University School of Law, class of 1958. (In 2002 Emory University School of Law honored Murrah by selecting him to be a recipient of its Distinguished Alumni Awards).
In 1962 Murrah established his law practice here in Winter Park. Murrah, Doyle and Wigle, P.A. is still serving the greater Winter Park community. Murrah is a distinguished practioner of estate-planning and elder law.
The Murrah family's dedication and service to Winter Park is legion. Several civic activities are listed here. He has served or is serving as a National Chancellor and National Alumni Director of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity; he is also a member of its Foundations' Board of Governors; he served as the first President of Orange County's school volunteer program Additions; Chairman of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum Board of Visitors; Commissioner, City of Winter Park; President of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce; board member HCF Foundation (formerly, Hospice of Central Florida Foundation); Community Foundation of Central Florida; the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra; Mary Lee DePugh Nursing Center; and member of the administrative board of the First United Methodist Church.
In 1986 Kenneth and Rachel were the leaders and organizers of CIVIC (Citizens Investing in the Community) which was the name given to a group that led the effort to get the community involved in "furnishing" the Winter Park Civic Center. (On December 12, 2001 the Winter Park Civic Center was dedicated as the Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center).
In 1996 Kenneth F. Murrah was the first person to be honored with the Winter Park Public Library's Evaline Lamson Meritorious Service Award. Murrah was instrumental in helping secure state grants to finance the building of the library's third floor addition. The award is named for one of the library's founders. In 1885 Evaline Lamson housed the first library in her home at the southwest corner of Swoope and Interlachen Avenues.
Kenneth F. Murrah was married on July 19, 1958, to the late Rachel D. Murrah, a much-respected Winter Park City Commissioner, serving from 1989 - 2000. He has two sons, Kenneth F. Murrah, Jr., the late Bert D. Murrah and three grandsons. He is currently married to Ann McMillan Hicks.
Rachel Durrett Murrah
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| Rachel Durrett Murrah Click photo to see a larger image. |
Rachel Durrett Murrah came to Winter Park in 1962. She was a graduate of H. Sophie Newcomb College, Tulane University, class of 1954, and earned a M.A. from Emory University, class of 1958.
She will be remembered for her "official" work as a City Commissioner, elected in 1989, and winning by a margin of almost 3 to 1. The final election count showed Murrah with 73.8 percent of the total votes cast. She was re-elected in 1992, 1996, 1999, and served three years as Vice Mayor.
During her tenure as a City Commissioner many projects throughout the City came before the Commission. Here are several she, as a commissioner, was instrumental in helping plan and implement: the construction of the Winter Park Tennis Center, renovations to the Winter Park Farmer's Market, Phase I renovations to the Winter Park Community Center, acquisition of the Winter Park Golf Course and Orwin Manor Park; developing the Cady Way to Mead Garden Bike Trail, building Lake Island Park, the design and construction plans for Winter Park Village, Sun Trust Plaza, Pennsylvania Place, The Preserve at Windsong, Park Avenue Enhancement Project, and passing the bond referendum to fund a new Public Safety Complex.
Her love and dedication to the Winter Park Community may have best been reflected in her "unofficial" roles. She was a board member, (1967 - 1971), of the Welbourne Avenue Day Nursery and Kindergarten, She served as treasurer, vice president, president,(1974 - 1975) of the Junior Service League of Winter Park, (Now the Junior League of Greater Orlando); in 1978 she served as President of the Winter Park High School Advisory Committee; in celebration of Winter Park's centennial (1982) she researched and produced the first visual history of Winter Park, a slide presentation "Winter Park, A Town and It's People."
From 1984 to 1989 she served as a member of the City's Planning and Zoning Commission. And in 1985-1986 she and her husband co-chaired CIVIC (Citizens Investing in the Community) which led the effort to get the community involved in building and furnishing the Winter Park Civic Center. (December 12, 2001, the civic center was dedicated as the Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center in Rachel's honor.)
Over the years, Rachel and the Winter Park Public Library developed a special relationship. All her life she received great pleasure and enrichment from reading books. In May of 1975 Rachel was president of the Library Board of Trustees (She was President of the Board four times and served on the Board 15 years) and presented the possibility of building a new library facility instead of adding another addition to the existing library on Interlachen Avenue. An expansion committee was appointed to research library needs. In January of 1976 the expansion committee presented its report. The Library Board approached the City and asked the City to buy a 1.5 acre parcel of land at New England and Chase Avenues, that had been identified as a choice location for the new library.
On March 9, 1976, the City Commission appropriated $9,000 to buy an option on the property and gave the Library Board until October to develop preliminary plans, locate funding and devise procedures for accomplishing this large building project.
By May, 1976, the Library Board had raised almost $70,000 and in September 1976, the City purchased the property for $300,000. In July of 1977 the library board learned that a Federal Grant had been received and that $945,000 would be available for construction of its new library. Ground was broken December 4, 1977, and construction took 14 months
In February 1979 the move was made to the new library at 460 E. New England Avenue. The formal dedication was held April 20, 1979. In 1979 the Florida Library Association presented its Trustees and Friends Library Award to Rachel D. Murrah for all her efforts in bringing this new library facility to fruition.
On June 23, 2000, Rachel D. Murrah died.
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